Gaara the Baker
by MosukeHinata
Summary: Wanting to get on the Hyuuga clan's good side to see his childhood crush, Gaara takes a job at the Hyuuga's cafe. Instead, Gaara ends up working alongside Hinata in the kitchen as a baker. GaaHina. COMPLETE
1. To the Bakery!

Gaara walks around the corner and stops to stare at where he is heading, Konoha's finest café, Café Hyuuga. He sighs and walks into the café.

He looks around at the mass of customers in the room and can't help but thinking, 'No wonder they're asking for new employees.' He finds what he's looking for in the back corner of the room. He walks up to the door that clearly states: "EMPLOYEES ONLY." He looks lower and finds a smaller sign that says: "Unless you are applying for a job."

Gaara sighs quietly as he pushes the door open. He expects to see the kitchen or an office, but instead, he finds himself in a hallway. He walks down the hallway, reading each door for the one he's looking for. He finds it at the end of the hallway. He looks up and reads to himself, "Hyuuga Neji".

He pulls the door open and finds himself standing in what looks to be a lobby to a fancy hotel. 'Wow…this place looks so small from the outside; I never knew this place was so big. Well, that's probably the power the Hyuugas have,' Gaara thinks quietly as he walks up to the front desk and rings the small bell. Almost immediately, a brunette walks out of a door from behind the desk and says, "Hello, I am Hyuuga Neji's secretary, how may I help you?"

"Hey, Tenten," Gaara says casually, "I'm here for the job."

Tenten looks at Gaara and smiles embarrassedly, "Sorry, Gaara. I couldn't recognize you without your gourd." She begins shuffling through papers, "So, you're here for WHICH position? We have many we were advertising for."

Gaara mutters quietly to himself, before looking away, blushing slightly, "…baker…" he mumbles quietly.

Tenten looks up at him, astounded. "BAKER!"

"Yes, yes! Now, can I have the job!" Gaara shouts, obviously embarrassed about his unwavering passion for sweet things.

"Oh! Right…" Tenten says, looking for the baker papers. She gives Gaara some papers, "Um just sign these and you'll have the job…and I won't tell Neji what position you wanted."

Gaara signs before quietly saying, "Thanks."

Tenten smiles and says, "You can start today, the kitchen is the last door on the right, you'll find our current chef there!" Gaara nods before walking out of the room and down the hallway to the kitchen.

He opens the door and steps inside, he looks around from where he's standing and he doesn't see anyone. "Hello?" he asks into the air.

He hears footsteps from his right. Suddenly, a young woman slams into him, throwing them both to the floor. On the way down, Gaara hits his head on a metal rack behind him and he loses consciousness.

* * *

"H-hello? G-Gaara-san? Are you alright? I didn't h-hurt you, d-did I?" stammers the woman as Gaara regains consciousness. He blinks a few times before he can focus clearly. He looks up to see Hinata Hyuuga, the woman of his dreams, standing above him.

"Hinata…" Gaara breathes, amazed. Hinata helps Gaara up and bows in apology.

"I-I'm sorry, Gaara-san. I was waiting for the new baker to help me fill the orders."

Gaara's eyes widen. "I-I'm the new baker!" Gaara says, pointing to himself.

Hinata blinks, "Really?" she tilts her head to the left slightly.

'So cute.' "Yes, I am…so…what do you want me to do?" Gaara asks.

"Oh! Um…there are a few spare uniforms in the back," Hinata says, pointing in the direction of the back room. Gaara nods and makes his way to the back room, where he finds a lot of uniforms. He finds the ones for the bakers and puts it on.

He walks out of the room and finds his way to where Hinata is by following the sweet smell of…well…sweets.

He walks out and asks, "Now what?"

Hinata turns around to greet him and chuckles. "What?" Gaara asks, confused. Hinata laughs louder. "WHAT!" Gaara shouts, annoyed.

"It's just…you look really…cute, Gaara-kun," Hinata says, quietly, calming herself down.

A slight blush finds its way to Gaara's face. "Oh…well…um."

Hinata smiles and says, "You look just like a baker, and when you walked in, I pictured the little sweet-loving kid I knew years ago wearing that. I just couldn't help but laughing, you were so cute, Gaara-kun."

"Oh…" 'Were?' Gaara thinks to himself, showing the slight sadness in his face.

"I-it's not like I'm insulting you, Gaara-kun! I wouldn't even think of that! It's just…you were so nice to me, maybe not everyone, but you were nice to me, and became my friend. And that's what we'll always be!" Hinata says, misinterpreting Gaara's sadness.

'Always being JUST friends? She's making it worse…why can't she see that that's not what I want! I took this job to get on the Hyuuga's good side so that maybe I could see Hinata more. I never guessed I would be working with her. That made me glad, Hina-chan; it's just, you only think of me as a friend, right? …Well…I'm gonna change that! Yeah! I'll make you fall head over heels for me!' Gaara thinks with a newfound determination.

Hinata sighs when she sees that Gaara wasn't sad anymore. That was the last thing she'd want him to be, him being her first and only crush. "Well, anyways, I'm glad we don't have too many people here today, I can show you how to make each of these dishes." Gaara nods and walks up next to Hinata.

"Well, you start by…"

**First chapter FINISHED! Sorry it's so short, the next will be longer, I just needed him to get the job this chapter. There will be a plot soon! I swear!**


	2. The Long Way Home

Note: Okay…Hinata has taught Gaara how to make all of the desserts the Hyuuga Café makes on a daily basis. Now, it is closing time and they are leaving.

Gaara picks up the clothes he was wearing in the morning and an extra uniform from the back room and puts them in a bag. "I hope that uniform won't be too small, or too big, for you Gaara-san." Gaara turns around and sees Hinata standing in the doorway.

"Oh… Hello, Hinata-chan. I thought you went home already," he says, putting on his coat and picking up the bag with his clothing.

Hinata shakes her head, "Neji-nii-san told me that I should stay here for tonight… something's… not right… at home."

Gaara blinks, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know…I just..." 'Is she having a fight with her parents? And if she is, is it serious? Oh, I hope not,' he thinks, fearing the worst.

"It's okay. I should be telling you more about myself. We need to know each other better…we _are_ going to be working together, after all."

Gaara nods in agreement, and notices the sadness in Hinata's eyes. 'Things must be _really_ bad at home for her…' "But…how about we do that tomorrow? You need to get some rest." Gaara smiles and leaves the café to go home for the night.

* * *

He strolls down the street towards his house. 'How am I supposed to get Hinata to like me?' he thinks, sighing to himself. "If only someone could help me…" he whispers to no one in particular.

"I can help you."

Gaara turns his head to the right, focusing on the spot in the shadows of an alley where he had heard a person talking. The person calmly walks out of the alley, slowly revealing themselves from the shadows. "I said I can help you," Sasuke says as he strolls towards him.

"Sasuke? Why would you bother helping me?" Gaara asks. 'You never helped anyone before…why do you want to start now?' he thinks, looking Sasuke up and down suspiciously.

Sasuke sighs and looks down. "I want to help you because I want Hinata to be happy. She wants you."

A light blush makes its way onto Gaara's face. "H-how do you know that!"

Sasuke glares at Gaara. "I asked her out last month but she rejected me, saying that she was in love with someone else. I told her that she didn't have to wait for Naruto to love her anymore. He wasn't going to have time to date or marry anyone, him being the successor to his fathers' martial arts studio and everything, but she said that she gave up on him a long time ago, knowing that he would never look her way. She said she was in love with you."

Gaara stares at Sasuke in disbelief. "Why would she tell YOU, of all people, something that important to her?"

"Because I confessed to her. She knew I wouldn't tell anyone I shouldn't about her feelings for you. Besides, Itachi and I have our own family's business to take care of. I don't need any extra work because I did something that made a Hyuuga hate me. I may have enough time to help you gain enough courage to tell her your feelings. After that, your natural instinct should kick in. If it doesn't, ask Itachi for help. He's been with a lot of girls."

"Why would you _Uchihas_ want to help me? I mean, I know why _you_ would _possibly_ want to help me, but why Itachi? I mean, I haven't even _met_ the guy!" Gaara asks suspiciously.

Sasuke shrugs, "Itachi's just a nice guy. He can't help it. When he sees someone in need of help, he helps, no questions asked." Sasuke shoves his hands in his pocket and walks off towards the Uchiha compound.

Gaara lightly scratches his head. 'I never knew Uchiha Sasuke would be kind to anyone except himself. So, he's planning on helping me get Hinata-chan to like me. I think I should thank him for that later.'

Gaara continues down the route back home without any interruptions until thirty minutes after Sasuke left. Gaara's phone rings and, as any normal person would, he answers it. Gaara picks up his phone and asks, "Hello?"

"Hey, Gaara, I forgot. Tomorrow's Hinata's birthday. Get up early, I mean _4 am_ early, and meet me at the Konoha Mall. North entrance," Sasuke says through the phone.

"Sasuke? Wait…what?"

"Meet me at the Konoha Mall's north entrance tomorrow at 4 am," Sasuke says nonchalantly.

"Okay?" Gaara says unsure. Sasuke hangs up the phone. 'That…was weird,' Gaara thinks as he begins walking back home.

Gaara gets home and changes into his pajamas. '4 am, huh? Wow…that's early. Guess I'll have to go to sleep now,' he thinks, lying down on his bed. He sets his alarm clock and begins drifting off to sleep. "I wonder what Sasuke thinks I should get Hinata-chan for her birthday. Whatever it is, I hope she'll like it."

And… there's a plot! Please review if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!


	3. Meeting With the Uchiha

**Sorry about the late continuation…I was busy… Also, I know Gaara doesn't sleep, but for this story, he does.**

* * *

3:30 am.

Gaara's alarm clock rings and he grudgingly hits it. "Ten more minutes…" Gaara grumbles and turns over. His eyes immediately shoot open as he remembers what day it is. 'Hinata's birthday,' he thinks as he throws his covers off and jumps out of bed to get ready.

* * *

3:45 am.

Gaara, now clean and fully dressed, runs into the kitchen to get himself a couple of onigiri for breakfast. With one onigiri in his hand and the other in his mouth, Gaara pulls on his shoes and runs out the door, locking it behind him.

* * *

3:50 am.

Gaara stumbles down the road while trying to eat his breakfast. He manages to get to his street corner, the bus stop, before the bus left.

* * *

3:55 am.

The bus arrives at the mall…the South side. Gaara sighs as he gets off the bus. 'I guess I'm gonna have to walk to the other side. He sets out on his trek to the other side of the mall.

* * *

4:00 am.

Gaara finally arrives at the North entrance of the Konoha Mall where he found Sasuke and Itachi standing by the door, both crossing their arms and looking bored.

"Sorry…did I make you wait long?" Gaara asks nervously. Sasuke shakes his head and heads inside the mall, motioning for Gaara to follow him. Gaara obliges and is followed close behind by Itachi.

Gaara looks around confused by Sasuke choice of store. The North entrance to Konoha's Mall is a gothic store where emos go. 'Go figure he'd only enter through here,' Gaara thinks as he looks around the store. 'Some of these are cool though…'

Sasuke wanders into the woman's section of the store with Gaara and Itachi following close behind him. Sasuke stops and points at a rack that holds all the low-cut shirts and short skirts and shorts, "Choose some."

Gaara's jaw drops. "W-what?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow and says, "Choose some clothes for Hinata. What was hard to understand about that?"

A deep blush covers Gaara's face as he begins to picture Hinata in these _revealing_ clothing. "W-why would I give Hinata clothes like that? Wouldn't it…suggest things?"

Sasuke gives Gaara a questioning look, "You mean, wouldn't it tell her the truth? Besides, she likes these kinds of clothes."

Gaara blinks in surprise. "She does?"

"We host parties that people wear these clothes to regularly. Hinata goes most of the time, she loves them," Sasuke explains. Itachi nods in agreement.

'He's alive!' Gaara thinks. 'Geez…that was the first time he's moved since we stopped at this rack.'

"Besides, I'm inviting you and her to my house for her birthday celebration. The party's gonna be like all the other ones I've—we've hosted. We need to get you some clothes, as well."

"What!"

"And," Sasuke continues, "Getting the clothes from you would make her happy. You want her to be happy, right?"

"Well, yeah, but. A party? If you didn't know, I'm really…antisocial."

"We know," Itachi says. "That's why we're forcing you to go to this party. The less reserved you become, the easier it will be to talk to Hinata. That means that you will be able to tell her your feelings faster."

Gaara blinks, stunned that Itachi had just spoken. "Oh, okay."

Sasuke nods and points back at the rack. "Now choose what you want to see her in."

Gaara goes closer the rack and starts looking through it. Each article of clothing seemed to be worse than the last to Gaara, causing his blush to deepen at every new piece of cloth. "I…I can't do this! These clothes are demeaning to women!" Gaara shouts and closes his eyes. "I can't force Hinata to wear any of this."

"Demeaning to women?" Sasuke asks quietly. "Well, that's the point!"

"But that's just _wrong!_" Gaara shouts as he turns around. "I…I can find a gift for Hinata on my own. I don't need your help." Gaara walks away from Sasuke and Itachi, trying to find his way out of the store.

Sasuke and Itachi look at each other. "Should we go after him?'

Itachi sighs and says, "You promised to help him. And you must fulfill your promises, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke frowns, "Don't call me Sasu-chan!"

Itachi smiles and ruffles his little brother's hair. "But, you'll always be my younger brother…and I can call you what I want!" Sasuke sighs and runs after Gaara, refusing to stay with his brother much longer.

"Oi! Gaara! Get back here!" Sasuke shouts, but Gaara can't hear him because he's already out of the store, heading home. Sasuke manages his way out of the store, grumbling to himself about how much of a maze it is, when he looks up and sees Gaara walking into the street, a large truck barreling towards him.

**A CLIFFHANGER! DUN DUN DUN! I'll try to update the next chapter soon, so, while you still have some time on your hands, why don't you give me a review? Hm? You know you want to.**


	4. The Pain an Injured Friend Can Bring

**I feel kinda bad about making you wait so long and giving you such a short chapter. BLAME SCHOOL! NOT ME! I hate having so much homework…**

**Oh, also, the thing about Gaara sleeping…this is an AU fic, so I made him sleep—he could use it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"G-GAARA!" Sasuke shouts, but he's too late, he can only take one step forward before the truck collides with Gaara. "GAARA!" Sasuke shouts once more as Itachi walks out of the store. Itachi watches as Sasuke runs over to Gaara, who is lying in the middle of the road.

'Why is he in the road, I didn't think he was so ignora…OMIGOD! IS THAT BLOOD!' Itachi sees a growing red pool seeping outwards, away from Gaara's lifeless, body. Itachi runs up to his younger brother and his brother's friend. Sasuke is already on the phone, probably 9-1-1. Sasuke's expression is frantic, fearful, and furious. 'Furious? Probably because that damned truck-driver didn't stop, even after he obviously saw what he did.'

An ambulance and police car approach the scene and two men lift Gaara's bloodied and unconscious form onto the gurney. "Gaara…" Sasuke says quietly. The head doctor in the ambulance looks over at Sasuke.

"I'm sorry about your boyfriend, young man," the man says, his voice laced with concern.

Sasuke's head snaps up at the man. "What! He's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend! I was trying to help him win over his crush! And I'm NOT gay!"

The man blinks. "Oh, you don't have to deny it, I won't judge you…I wouldn't judge anyone who might lose their love."

"But I don't love hi—did you just say 'lose'? ARE YOU SAYING HE'S GONNA DIE!"

"Sasuke, calm down," Itachi says quietly as he puts his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Calm down?" Sasuke asks, "YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN MY BEST FRIEND MIGHT BE DYING! No. I'm not that kind of person, Nii-san!" Sasuke turns to the head doctor. "And I certainly am NOT gay, either!"

The man looks at Itachi questioningly, as if to ask, 'Is he telling the truth about not being gay?' Itachi nods and the man looks taken-aback. "Well, sorry about jumping to conclusions." He looks back at the ambulance and another man gives him a thumbs up, saying that they were ready to leave. The man nods and looks back at Sasuke and Itachi. "We're taking him to the Konoha Hospital. If all goes well, you should be able to visit him in two days." With that, he turns and gets into the ambulance, starts it, and drives off with his siren.

A sudden realization occurs to Sasuke. 'What the _hell_ am I gonna say to Hinata?'

Sasuke and Itachi walk in their front door and close it behind them. Itachi turns to his little brother and says, "Go get some sleep, you'll need it." Sasuke nods and goes to his room to catch up on some much needed sleep. Sadly, for two hours, he finds that he can only lay awake in anticipation. Finally, after Itachi gives him some sleeping medicine, he drifts off into a dreamless sleep.

Sasuke wakes up at eleven that same morning so he can grudgingly tell Hinata what happened to Gaara. Sasuke is clean, fed, and out the door within an hour and he starts the long trek to Café Hyuuga. Sasuke is able to make it there within 15 minutes, but stops and stares at the door of the building. 'Maybe I should walk around the park first…you know…give them some time to get ready for the day.' With that, he turns and walks to the park next door.

Right as he rounds the corner, he literally bumps into Hinata. "S-sorry, Sasuke-san," Hinata says with a shy smile. "We-were you heading to the c-café? B-because if you a-are, I c-can let you in e-e-early…" She shyly wrings her hands together.

"No, there's something I wanted to tell you. You should probably sit down for this," Sasuke says, looking away, causing Hinata to start to worry.

'Why would I need to sit down?' "Um…o-okay." She leads him up to the Café door and opens it. She then walks into the back and they sit down in the employee lounge. "Okay, s-say what you w-wanted to, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke takes a deep breath. "Well…Gaara's in the hospital. He got hit by a car. I don't know his condition, but yesterday, the ambulance doctor let it slip that he might…die…" Sasuke hesitantly looks up at Hinata, not wanting to see her expression. Instead of what he was expecting, he sees nothing in Hinata's expression. It's unreadable. "Hinata-chan…are you okay?"

Hinata smiles sadly and says, "Yes." Two seconds later, tears start falling from her eyes. She looks down slowly, laughing quietly. She shakes her head and holds it in her hands. "No. I'm not okay…" Sasuke puts his arm around her and sighs. "G-Gaara-kun…" She sobs loudly and leans into Sasuke's chest for support. "W-w-why…? Why h-h-him?"

Sasuke holds her tighter. "I don't know, Hinata-chan. I don't know." He sets his chin on her head as he lets her cry. "I just don't know." He sighs sadly and closes his eyes.

**Man…that was sad. =( Poor Sasuke, his best friend's on his death bed.**


	5. Memories

**Hello! I'm thinking about adding some new fics, but I don't know if I should because I have so many unfinished ones already up. Could you be so kind as to take the poll on my profile and tell me if I should add them? And if in one week the majority says yes, I'll put up a new poll with the summaries and you can decide which one I should put up first.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Later that day, Hinata, Sasuke, and Itachi all go to the hospital to see if they could see Gaara. Sadly, he is still not in a stable enough conditions for visitors, so they were sent away. Sasuke had growled at the receptionist for that, but reluctantly leaves with the other two with him, or rather, dragging him. After they get to Hinata's house, they stop and Sasuke quietly says, "I'm sorry Hinata. If there's anything I can do to alleviate some of the pain, just tell me. I'm your friend." Hinata nods before she turns and walks into her house silently.

Once Hinata's front door closes again, Sasuke sighs and begins to walk home with Itachi following silently behind him. "He better be okay. Once he's better, I'll kill him!"

"Wouldn't that be counterproductive?"

"You know what I mean!" Sasuke yells before looking down, letting his bangs cover his face.

Itachi sighs and ruffles Sasuke's hair. "It's okay, Sasu-chan. You can cry if you want. I won't criticize you," Itachi says semi-jokingly. Sasuke remains silent as they continue to walk. Suddenly, Sasuke turns into an alley and leans against one of the filthy walls and cries. He silently lets his tears fall down his face, the only noise he makes are his random gasps for air. Itachi silently watches his younger brother finally break his mask of indifference. He feels his heart wrench. 'Sasu-chan…he really was a close friend of you, ne?' Itachi calmly walks into the alley, not drawing any attention. He sets his hand on his younger brother's head.

Sasuke takes a deep shaky breath to calm himself. "He was my best friend, dammit! Even if I never acted like it or I never told him, it still meant something to me! He is one of only two people who stayed being my friend no matter how much I treated them like crap! Now, because of me, he's lying in a hospital bad, possibly on his death bed!" Sasuke takes another shaky breath.

Itachi ruffles Sasuke's hair. "He's not going to die, Sasu-chan," Itachi says. Sasuke doesn't say anything. Itachi frowns again. 'He's still not yelling at me for calling him that. This accident must really have him thrown.' Itachi bites his lip in worry but immediately puts his façade back up. "Sasu-chan…I think it would be best if we get back home." Sasuke slightly nods. Itachi gently grabs his shoulder and starts leading him out of the alley and down the street towards their house.

Once the two Uchiha get to their empty house, Itachi leads Sasuke in and takes off both their shoes. Itachi sighs quietly, 'He's reverted back to his seven year old self after our parents' death. I hope that once he gets notification that Gaara's going to be okay, he'll go back to normal…_if_ Gaara's going to be okay. NO! I shouldn't be thinking like that! Bad Itachi, BAD!' He then puts his attention back on his baby brother who is now sitting on the couch. "What would you like for dinner, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke looks up at him before looking back down, not saying anything. Itachi looks sadly down at his younger brother. He puts up a happy façade, "How about I make you some tomato onigiri, okay? Would you like that?" Sasuke silently nods his head slowly. 'This is gonna be tough...'

* * *

Hinata closes her bedroom door quietly and looks around her room. She blinks away her tears and walks into her closet. She reaches up and pulls down a cardboard box labeled, "Memories". She carries the dusty box and sets it down right next to her bed. She sits on her bed and opens it. She smiles sadly down at the contents. She pulls out a photo album with a picture of Gaara, Sasuke, and her standing in front of Gaara's family's new amusement park, "Sabakukyuu."

She can feel the edges of her lips tugging upwards into a smile as she stares at the chibi version of Gaara. She turns to the first page to see another tiny Gaara standing in their kitchen with a grin on his face. He had a chef's hat covering half his face and the rest of a baker's outfit, obviously ten sizes too large, thrown carelessly on his body. To top it off, on his feet are a pair of his father's shoes, obviously _way_ too big for him if the way his feet are partly slipping out the hole at the top is any indication.

"Cute," she quietly mumbles to herself. She looks at the other page and sees a picture of their Halloween that same year. Sasuke was a knight, Gaara was a ninja, and Hinata was convinced into being a princess. She giggles quietly as she remembers that night.

The next picture is the dare when they were ten and Gaara had to dress up as a panda and wear the costume to school. For weeks, Gaara hadn't said a word to Sasuke. It took Hinata three days, two turtles, sixteen water bottles, and one grappling hook to get Gaara to speak to Sasuke again. Don't ask what she needed all those things for, it's hard to explain.

She looks at the next picture and frowns when she can't remember it. 'Since when had I ever worn—oh~! That's embarrassing!' She immediately turns the page before anyone could see it. _Why_ anyone could see that picture when she's sitting alone in her house is beyond me.

She raises an eyebrow at the picture of her and Gaara sitting under a tree. That was the day he tried to run away, but Hinata stopped him by talking to him and getting him to sit under that tree. No, just sitting under a tree didn't stop him. What stopped him was the fact that she fell asleep on him. She blushes slightly and silently wonders who took the picture because no one had ever been there. She absentmindedly wonders if it was Sasuke who had taken it as she flips the page once more.

She almost breaks out in a grin at the picture of Gaara holding empty cartons of eggs and milk and Sasuke dripping in the missing substances, glaring daggers at Gaara. How could she forget that day? It was Itachi's birthday and Sasuke had asked Gaara to help him make a cake. Itachi had just walked in and saw the two of them like that and couldn't help taking a picture. Sasuke had begged Itachi to delete the picture, but Itachi said he would and he did, he just gave a copy to Hinata first.

The next picture is of the time when the three of them snuck onto the roof of their school to ditch a day of classes. They ended up being caught by Negi, Itachi, and Temari who all ditch classes up there. Since none of them wanted to get in trouble, no one turned anyone in. The picture was taken right before the final bell rang; the six were huddled together with Temari's arm outstretched to take the pic.

* * *

Sasuke walks up the stairs to his bedroom after eating his onigiri. 'I don't tell him this, but I think his are the best.' Sasuke closes his bedroom door behind him and throws himself down on the bed. He grimaces slightly at the groan from the wood. 'Maybe I should think about getting a new one. This thing's getting so old...' He turns his head and is about to fall asleep when his phone rings.

He scowls but nevertheless answers it. "Hello?" he asks, annoyed that someone would interrupt his nap. His face slowly changes from annoyed to worried and fearful. "O-okay," he stutters quietly. 'Damn! I _never_ stutter!' He gulps and his eye twitches slightly. "I got it," he mutters angrily. He slams the phone back down. 'I thought I told that man I am _not_ gay!' He sits for a few minutes, fuming when he finally realizes something. He has to tell Hinata!

"Damn," he mutters as he jumps up and throws his door open. He scampers down the stairs and past the dining room where Itachi was sitting reading a book. "I'll be at Hinata's, be back later!" he calls over his shoulder to a bewildered Itachi.

"Um...okay?"

Sasuke grabs his jacket and slips into his shoes. He throws the front door open and speeds outside. He stops turns back and closes the door and slips on his jacket. With that, he bolts down the street towards Hinata's house.

* * *

Hinata smiles and is about to turn the page when her front doorbell rings. She carefully puts the album back in the box and stands up. 'I wonder who that could be.'

She walks down the stairs and to the door. She opens it and blinks in surprise when she finds an out of breath Sasuke standing there. He looks up at her with weary eyes, "We need to talk."

**Ooh! Another cliffie! Sorry, but I'm out of inspiring and I'M SORRY ABOUT NOT UPDATING THIS ONE!**

**-MosukeHinata**


	6. Wishes and a Nightmare

**Sorry about not updating. I had school. Now it's over!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Hinata stares at Sasuke in shock. "W-what are you t-talking about, Sasuke?" Sasuke looks to his right and sighs. "D-did something happen?" Sasuke nods slightly and Hinata gasps. "D…do I wanna know what it is?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "No, but you need to." He takes a deep breath before saying, "Gaara's condition got worse. The only way for him to live is for them to operate." He takes a deep breath and continues, "They told me that the chance of surviving that operation is less than forty percent. Then, even if the operation is successful, the chance of him living after that is less than two percent."

"Y-you can't be serious," Hinata says, her eyes wide with fear.

"I've never been more serious in my life, Hina-chan. I'm sorry." He pulls her into a hug and quietly adds, "They wouldn't tell me what exactly went wrong because I'm not family but they did say that he still might live." Sasuke smirks. "He's been through worse, remember? When I accidentally knocked him off the roof of our school back as a freshman? He's gonna make it."

"From what I remember, that wasn't an accident," she mutters into his chest.

"Um…well, that was a long time ago and there is no need to dwell on it! The important thing is that he's the luckiest person I know. He can make it." Sasuke gently pats Hinata's head.

She stays silent for a few moments before commenting, "You know, this is rather… affectionate of you considering you're just Gaara's friend… especially after you confessed to me…" Sasuke sighs and pulls back, a slight scowl on his face. "I already told you, Sasuke, I'm in love with Gaara."

Another sigh escapes Sasuke's lips, this one depressed. "Yeah, I know I don't stand a chance, could you please stop rubbing it in my face…?"

"S-sorry, Sasuke-san…"

"And could you _please_ stop calling me that? We've been friends for, what, ten, twelve years? Geez, I've told you to just call me Sasuke," he says, lightly punching her shoulder. Hinata snickers quietly. "Yeah, your laughing face is much better than that frown. I'm glad you turned it upside-down! I can't believe I'm saying this…I sound like some cheap motivational speaker that you'd only find at…" Insert Sasuke's creeped-out shudder here, "…non-profit organizations!"

Hinata snorts, "I'll never understand why you dislike non-profit organizations so much…"

"Have you _seen_ their bathrooms? It's like someone exploded…while giving birth!" He shouts with his eyes wide in fear.

"Are you sure you aren't gay?"

"Hinata! You _know_ that that room's disgusting!" He groans in annoyance, 'Why is she questioning my sexuality? So what if I like sanitary places, that doesn't mean I'm gay!'

"I know they are, but you don't see me acting like that. I'm a woman; I can hide my emotions for the rest of my life." She pauses before continuing, "Unless I'm actually there; I would be barfing all over the place."

Sasuke smirks before having it slowly slide off his face when he remembers what the doctor had told him. He slips his hands in his pockets and looks up at the sky. 'Dammit, Gaara, if you don't make it out of this, I swear I'll make my eternal spirit haunt yours! You'll never hear the end of this!' He frowns. "We better get inside, it's gonna rain."

Hinata shakes her head. "I wanna go see Gaara."

"But the doctor sa—"

"I don't give a _shit_ about what the doctor said!" She shouts, tears brimming in her eyes. Sasuke gulps in shock. "I wanna see him…if only one last time…" She bites her lip and lets her head fall forward. "Please…"

'Dammit…so cute…' He sighs and glances up at the sky once more. "At least go get an umbrella. We can't risk you catching a cold." Hinata nods and runs down the hall. 'Damn…I really can't get over how cute she is…' He mentally slaps himself. 'This is just a crush, I'll have to get over it one day…but I don't know if I will…' He sighs and turns around to see a random girl walking down the street. "Then again..." he mutters under his breath.

"Then again, what?" Hinata asks as she comes out of her house, closing the door. She locks it and strolls down the front steps. "What were you talking about, Sasuke?"

"N-nothing!" He jumps down the steps and starts heading to the hospital. 'That was close. Can't let her find out that I'm thinking like that, she'd _kill_ me!' The two walk in a comfortable silence.

* * *

A low, rhythmic beeping resounds from the machine next to Gaara's hospital bed. A low whine escapes his lips as he turns over slightly. His eyes open to reveal troubled teal pupils. 'The chances of me surviving this are slim to none… there are a multitude of moments that could lead to my ultimate demise. Just one tiny mistake such as forgetting to close the door or something could very well result in me catching a disease and dying. Man, that damned doctor didn't need to give me examples; now I can't get them out of my head!' He groans and rolls onto his back, attempting to finally fall asleep. His eyelids slowly droop, his pupils fogging with drowsiness, until they finally fall closed.

_Gaara opens his eyes and looks around to find nothing but darkness. 'What is this?' He looks all around him before shielding his eyes as quickly as he could when the blackness suddenly switches to a blinding white. He groans and slowly uncovers his eyes to have them widen in shock._

_He blushes slightly as he sees an older version of Hinata, obviously well matured physically. He's a pervert, who can blame him? He slowly stands up and walks over to her and as he reaches out to her, his hand goes __**through**__ her. His eyes widen and he yelps and falls back in shock. 'Wha-what the hell?'_

_He finally notices exactly __**where**__ Hinata is standing. He looks around at the graveyard before looking at the headstone in front of Hinata. "Here lies Gaara Sabakyuu Loving Son, Brother, and Friend May his soul rest in peace." No…no no no! He crab walks backwards as Hinata leans down and lies some lilies on his grave. "NO!" he screams._

_His back hits something hard and he turns, expecting to see a gravestone, only to see the grim reaper standing there. "Time's up," it says in a raspy breathless voice, fog seeping out of its lips. A piercing scream is ripped from Gaara's lips as the scythe is lifted upwards._

_He looks back at Hinata once last time to see her form lying lifelessly on his grave. His scream gets caught in his throat and his eyes widen before the sound of the scythe slicing through the air reaches his ears._

Gaara bolts upright in bed, drenched in his sweat, and tears streaming down his face. He feverishly looks around the room in fear. After he calms down a bit, he gently presses his hand to his head. 'God, what a nightmare.'

He pants and holds his throbbing head in his hands. 'I don't want to have that dream again…that'd be horrible!' He groans and feels a single tear run down his face. "I don't want to die. I want to be with Hinata-chan…"

* * *

"What do you mean we can't see him!" Sasuke shouts, slamming his hands on the secretary's desk.

"Sasuke-san, please, let's just go," Hinata mumbles sadly, not meeting his eyes. Sasuke looks at her sadly before his clenches his hands and glares at the woman behind the desk.

"No, we're not leaving! We need to see Gaara!" Hinata looks up at him in shock. Sasuke turns and looks at her softly. "You said you wanted to see him, so I'm gonna make that happen." He groans quietly before sighing and quietly saying, "Even if that mean s I have to exploit my lineage…" He turns back to the woman with a glare.

'Sasuke,' Hinata thinks. 'You've always hated being different. You always hated being an Uchiha, yet you're willing to accept you heritage to help me. You really are a great friend!' She smiles softly but the smile slips away at the thought of Gaara lying in a hospital bed, alone…

"Do you really want your boss to know that you're not allowing _Uchiha_ Sasuke and his friend in to see their possibly _dying_ friend? Do you really want the higher-ups to get wind of you not allowing an _Uchiha_ to hear the dying words of his life-long friend? Do you?" The woman pales and shakes her head furiously. "Then. Let. Us. Through," Sasuke says, attempting and failing to hide the malice in his voice.

The woman nods and says, "O-okay, just a second, Uchiha-sama, sir."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and glances back down at Hinata to see her fearful looking eyes. He frowns and quietly asks, "What's wrong, Hinata-chan?"

"Y-you don't think Gaara's gonna d-die, do you?"

Sasuke's eyes widen. "No! Of course not, he's gonna make it, Hinata." He leans in close and whispers, "Between you and me, I just said that for dramatic effect." He leans back with a smirk and Hinata chuckles quietly.

The secretary nods and leads them down a dimly lit hallway. He glances back at them and explains, "If the lights were any brighter, some of our patients with eye problems would only get worse." They stop outside a door and the woman opens it. She doesn't even look in before pushing Sasuke and Hinata inside before walking away.

Sasuke frowns at the door. "What lousy service…" He looks at the bed sitting in the center of the room. "Gaara," he says in shock as the red head lifts up his head to look at the two in shock.

"Sasuke…Hinata? What…what are you two doing here?" he asks in a small, raspy voice.

Hinata inwardly cringes before saying, "We came to see you, Gaara-kun."

* * *

**So…tell me what you think…**

**-MosukeHinata**


	7. Confessions, Fake Injuries, & Operations

**Well, here are the last two chapters. Sorry if it seems kind of rushed. It seems rushed to me...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Gaara blinks in surprise before a smile spreads across his face. He starts on a coughing fit and weakly grabs the cup of water by his bed.

Sasuke looks away. 'Damn…if I hadn't forced him into the mall that day, he'd still be okay…' He uncharacteristically bites his bottom lip and crosses his arms, guilt attacking his conscience.

Gaara sets the cup down after taking a drink and looks at Sasuke with a frown. "What's up with the defensive stance, Sasuke?" Sasuke stiffens when Hinata turns to look at him to. Gaara tilts his head slightly when his friend doesn't answer. Realization flashes in Gaara's eyes. "This isn't your fault Sasuke." Sasuke winces and becomes strangely interested with the window. "Besides," he continues with a smile, "what makes you think I won't pull through? Come on, don't tell me you've forgotten about that time you pushed me off the roof?"

Sasuke twitches again before mumbling, "That was an accident."

Gaara chuckles and shakes his head, "Yeah, sure, it was an 'accident' that you got so pissed that you shoved me off the roof?" Sasuke growls quietly.

Hinata stares at Sasuke with a frown. "What do you mean you think this is your fault?"

Sasuke sighs and says, "We were at the mall and he got pissed at me and stormed off. I followed him out but I was too late. By the time I got there, he was already in the street with a truck barreling towards him. I couldn't do anything, and he got hit…I pissed him off, it was my fault…"

Hinata looks from Sasuke to Gaara and back. "That…can't possibly your fault," she says, "anyone could have pissed him off; it's not your fault, Sasuke." Gaara nods. Sasuke sighs and looks away from her, not believing her words. She huffs and says, "Fine, if you don't want to believe that, than believe this: Gaara-kun forgives you."

Gaara nods, "And I don't blame you. I blame that damned driver who didn't even slow down or stop, but never you. You're my best friend. I'm lying in a hospital bed, about to undergo surgery; don't tell me you're going through a mental crisis! The surgery might take my life, but you don't see me complaining! I say I can beat these odds!" He leans against the headboard when he realizes something. He turns to Hinata and says, "You…you called me 'Gaara-_kun_'…"

Hinata blushes and looks away. "Y-yes…I d-did…"

Gaara frowns slightly. "Wait…you didn't have your stutter just a minute ago…" Sasuke's eyes widen slightly in realization and he looks down at Hinata, whose blush started to darken. Gaara smiles slightly. "Hinata-chan…do you…like me?"

Hinata's blush darkens and she slowly shakes her head, and, coincidentally, she looks down at her feet, missing the dejected look upon Gaara's face. "I don't _l-like _, but I…" she blushes harder, and gulps. 'Damn, I can't say it…I…I have to…'

She takes a deep breath and before she can continue, Gaara says, "No, don't say anymore, Hinata-chan. I understand…" he says, not wanting to look at the love of his life's face. Yes, he admits it; he's in love with Hinata.

Hinata blushes and stares at the boy on the bed in shock, muttering, "Y-you d-d-do?"

Gaara nods and looks out the window, "Yeah, I understand that you don't like me; that you only want to be friends," he murmurs. Hinata's eyes widen and Sasuke frowns in shock.

There is a deafening silence for a few minutes before Hinata looks down, biting her lip. 'No!' she screams in her head, 'That's not it! I love you, Gaara! I love you! Please don't think that; please don't think differently… it's too painful.' Tears start to fill her eyes. 'No…'

Gaara can feel tears welling up in his eyes. 'No, why can't Kami just give me this one thing?' He sighs to hide the sob that rakes his body.

Sasuke looks between the two before something to the side catches his eye: Gaara's chart. He quietly walks up to it and looks at it. His eyes widen at the date of Gaara's surgery: today. 'Fuck,' Sasuke thinks, glancing at the clock on the wall. 'It's in only a few minutes, I need to stall the doctors; these two need to sort out their feelings.' He sets the chart down and heads to the door, muttering a quiet, "bathroom" as he exits.

Once out in the hallway, Sasuke closes the door and looks down the empty hallway. 'Okay, how to stall,' he thinks, spotting a chair sitting randomly in the middle of the hallway, 'that's weird, but convenient.' He picks up the chair and sets it under the handle of Gaara's door. 'They won't be leaving any time soon.'

Sasuke walks down the hallway, in search of the doctor. He stops and turns around about three turns away from Gaara's room. 'I think I'm lost,' he thinks sadly. Hearing footsteps, Sasuke spins around to see two doctors coming down the corridor. He panics before seeing a nurse trailing after them, the same nurse who had fawned over Sasuke as he was walking down the hallway to Gaara's room, and a plan pops into his head.

'Damn, why do I have to exploit my status… oh well,' he mentally sighs before clutching his chest in fake pain. A gasp escapes his lips as his eyes widen and he stumbles, leaning heavily against the wall. The doctors look up in surprise when a thump reaches their ears. The nurse looks past them and her eyes widen.

"Oh my god, Uchiha-sama," she says, rushing to his side.

The doctors' eyes widen. "Oh shit," one murmurs, running up to the Uchiha heir. 'If he dies while in our hospital…'

Sasuke slides down the wall and thuds onto the floor, easily making the onlookers believe the grimace was from the pain of being unable to breathe. "We need to get him to a room stat!" the first doctor shouts, as the other darts down the hallway the way they came, getting a stretcher. "Hurry! We need him on a defibrillator quick!"

Sasuke paled. 'What? Oh shit…this was definitely _not_ my best idea…'

* * *

Gaara frowns slightly when the door handle jiggles once Sasuke leaves. After waiting a few moments, Gaara's eyes widen. 'He wouldn't…' "Hinata-chan," he says, not taking his eyes off the handle, "could you check the door? Is it locked?"

Hinata frowns slightly in confusion before getting up and walking to the door. She turns the handle and pushes, but it doesn't budge. She tries it a few more times with the same result. She looks panicked and tries shoving the door before stopping. She looks over at Gaara. "I-it's l-l-locked…"

'Just great,' Gaara thinks with a sigh. 'Great job, Sasuke, use the oldest trick in the book: lock them in a room together…' After a few minutes of silence, Gaara drawls out, "So," while not looking at her.

Hinata bites her lip before quietly saying, "Gaara-kun." 'This is my chance. I can't let this pass me by.' "T-there's something y-you should k-know."

Gaara raises an eyebrow as he looks at her. "What?"

She takes a deep breath. "You were wrong," she says with stuttering. Gaara blinks before frowning in confusion. "Let me e-explain," she pauses once more to gather her bearings. She takes another deep breath and carefully says, "I don't want to be friends with you. I want to be m-more."

Taking a second to comprehend the meaning behind her words, Gaara stares at Hinata before his eyes widen. "Seriously?" he asks breathlessly.

Hinata gulps and says, "I l-love you, G-Gaara-kun."

Gaara gasps, and once again breathlessly asks, "Seriously?" Hinata nods and he breaks out in a goofy grin. "I love you, too," he says with a smile. His smile then slips off his face. "Okay, now that we've established how we _truly_ feel about each other…how do we get out?"

Hinata blinks before gazing sadly at the door. "I…d-don't know…"

* * *

Sasuke leans against Gaara's hospital room door. 'Kami that was an _ordeal_…' he thinks, remember how hard it was to convince them that he was fine and not having a heart attack. How did they even graduate med school? They wanted to still use the defibrillator on him after he was up and walking down the hallway again! What kind of doctor does that!

Sasuke slams his head against the door before pushing himself off the floor. Well, the only good thing that came out of that was that the operation was pushed back an hour. He turns and leans against the door, attempting to catch a glimpse of the conversation inside.

The muffled voice of Hinata says, "_I don't want to be friends with you. I want to be m-more._" Sasuke's eyes widen before he does a mental happy dance.

'Way to go, Hinata!' Gaara's voice was too quiet for him to hear, but he did catch what Hinata said next.

"_I l-love you, G-Gaara-kun._" Sasuke grins and fist pumps in victory. He pauses, realizes how much emotion he had just shown before glancing around to find no stray people wander around. He almost sighs in relief.

He presses his ear up against the door once more to hear Gaara say, "_I love you, too._" Sasuke grins and stands up straight.

'Finally, took them long enough.' He frowns, 'So, are you finally going out now?' He shrugs. 'I'll just have to ask them.' He takes the chair out from under the handle and opens the door, with a frown on his face. "Hey guys," he says, getting their attention. "Do either of you know why the door was locked?" he asks with fake sincerity.

Hinata and Gaara glance at each other. "Didn't y-you lock it?" Hinata asks innocently.

Sasuke blinks in faux shock. "What! How could you even accuse me of something like that? I would never!"

Gaara raises a nonexistent eyebrow incredulously. "Says the best actor we know… Sure, you didn't lock it, just like you didn't push me off the roof, or just like you didn't hit on Hinata when you were drunk at the Christmas party last year." He crosses his arms and shakes his head. "Sure, Sasuke…"

Sasuke crosses his arms over his chest defensively. "Whatever," he murmurs before looking at the clock. "We had better go, Hinata. Gaara's surgery's in about twenty minutes." At that statement, Gaara pales and Hinata blinks in shock, tears coming to her eyes.

"O-okay," Hinata says quietly. "G-goodbye, Gaara-kun," she says as she waves goodbye to him, Sasuke nods, and Gaara weakly holds up his hand in farewell. The two leave the room and Gaara is left to his thoughts once more.

'Okay, I can survive this. I'm not going to die. I want to be with Hinata, and I can't be with her if I'm dead… I'll survive. Love conquers all, right?' He groans and slams his head against the headboard before whining and rubbing the back of his head. He moves down the bed and rests his head against the pillow. "I can do this," he murmurs as he stairs up at the ceiling.

* * *

The next morning, Sasuke, Itachi, and Hinata meet outside the hospital. "His operation should be done," Sasuke says, glancing at the building. Hinata nods, her eyes distant and tired. None of them got any sleep last night.

Itachi puts his hands on their shoulders and leads them into the building. They walk up to front desk and Itachi does the talking. "We are here to see Gaara."

The secretary, a different one from last night, searches on her computer before she brings up Gaara's file. "I can show you to his room," she says, not really saying what happened.

Sasuke frowns as they walk down the hall, "What happened with his surgery?" The woman doesn't say anything, continuing to lead them down the hall. Sasuke and Hinata glance at each other, their fears not at all put at ease.

"The room's the last one of the left," she says before walking back towards the front desk.

When they reach Gaara's room, Itachi opens the door and pushes the two younger people in before following shortly after.

Gaara, who happened to be reading a book, looks up at them, closing the book and setting it on the table next to him. He smiles softly at them. "I told you I could beat the odds."

* * *

**And I end it there, but there is an epilogue! I mean, I have to tie this back to him being a baker, right? It's gonna be rather short… sorry. Well, in the next chapter, it will be about a year later and that's all I will say on the matter.**

**-MosukeHinata**


	8. Epilogue: An Unexpected Surprise

**This is a set roughly a year after Gaara's surgery.**

**Oh, I think I never mentioned this at the beginning, but they are all out of college, so yes, this chapter _does_ make sense.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Epilogue**

Hinata walks up the steps into the café. She smiles and moves to unlock the door only to find it already unlocked. She pauses. 'That's strange, I told Gaara to lock up when he left…' She slowly opens the door and pushes her way inside. She glances around warily. 'Maybe we got robbed. It doesn't look like it though…'

She continues through the dining area to the door marked "EMPLOYEE'S ONLY". She slowly pushes that door open as well only to find nothing out of place. 'What's going on? Why was the door unlocked?' She sighs in frustration before walking down the hallway cautiously.

She gets to the kitchen and slowly pushes the door open. When she can find nothing out of the ordinary, she walks into the room and walks to the back to put on her uniform.

When she walks out of the back room, and can still find nothing wrong, she shrugs and head up to the front to start working on some cupcakes that were ordered earlier. She starts taking out some ingredients before stopping when she spots a calendar. She pauses and blinks in shock. 'Wow, today's my birthday? I must have really lost track of the days…' She shrugs and starts back to working.

Once she has them in a pan, she walks up to the oven and puts them in. She sets the timer and smiles. She turns around and jumps in surprise. There, laying his head on the frosting counter, is a peacefully sleeping Gaara. Hinata frowns. 'He stayed here all night?'

She walks up to him and places a hand on his shoulder to shake him when her eyes snap up to see a delicious looking cake sitting in front of him. On it are the words: "Happy Birthday Hinata".

Hinata smiles and her eyes drift further up the counter to see a carefully wrapped gift sitting idly with her name inscribed on the tag hanging from it. She looks back down at her boyfriend and strokes his red tresses, causing him to stir.

Gaara turns his head to look up at Hinata. His eyes widen and he sits up abruptly. "Hinata! I fell asleep? Aw man, I wanted to surprise you," he murmurs the last part sadly.

Hinata chuckles, "You did s-surprise me, Gaara-kun. I didn't expect to see you t-there. And thank you, for the cake and the present."

Gaara freezes slightly before looking at her shyly, "Did you open your present?" Hinata shakes her head. His eyes look relieved, and he smiles and says, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Hinata smiles and goes over to the box on the counter, too engrossed by the colorful wrapping to see or hear Gaara get up from his seat. She carefully unwraps the paper and lifts up the lid of the box. She frowns at the folded paper sitting at the bottom.

She pulls out the paper and unfolds it. "'Turn around'?" she reads aloud before turning her head to see Gaara down on one knee behind her. Her mouth drops open and she turns around fully.

Gaara reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. "Hyuuga Hinata, you are the single most wonderful person I've ever met. I'd be honored to spend the rest of my life with you, so will you marry me?" he asks as he opens the box to reveal a shining diamond ring.

Hinata's eyes widen and she grins, "YES!" she shouts, jumping down and hugging her boyfriend-turned-fiancé.

* * *

**END**

**Okay, don't yell at me for making it too short. I said it'd be short! Well, did you like it? And yes, Gaara did make that cake, he did not buy it. **

**-MosukeHinata**


End file.
